In Or Out?

[Merlin77]

This has probably been asked many times before, but here goes:

Do you believe a cat is happier as all indoors, all outdoors or a mix of both? I'm not talking about their safety, more about the cat's actual point of view and opinion.

I know my cats would want freedom to go anywhere the wanted; outside, inside, inside the neighbor's house with the fish dinner all set up, and so on.

 

[Margret]

I got this from the Funny pictures and Memes thread, in August, I think.

I don't think cats really care that much; they just want the door to be open (or able to open it themselves). Cats find closed doors offensive, as if they're personal insults to the cat.

Margret

 

[Kieka]

I have indoor/outdoor cats and I know when they are stuck indoors only during the daytime they mope and want out. But is that more habit or desire? Who knows.

 

[maggiedemi]

I think they are happier with a mix of indoor and outdoor. But if you get them a buddy kitty, it makes a big difference, and they don't seem to mind being indoor only so much.

 

[Merlin77]

I got this from the Funny pictures and Memes thread, in August, I think.

I don't think cats really care that much; they just want the door to be open (or able to open it themselves). Cats find closed doors offensive, as if they're personal insults to the cat.

Margret

Too true. Too true.

 

[Kat0121]

Cats can be perfectly happy inside all the time. IMO they do not belong outside unsupervised ever. There is too many dangers out there and it's not worth it. Would they be "happier"? I don't know and quite frankly, don't care. They are my responsibility and as the "parent" in the relationship, I have to be the one to make that call and it is done with their best interest in mind.

They do not belong relieving themselves in other people's yards, going after birds and other wildlife and potentially causing car accidents from people trying to avoid them in the road. Would a toddler be "happier" eating candy for breakfast every day? Yeah probably. Would it be in their best interest? No.

I agree with Margret . If they could talk and were asked, I don't think many of them would care. My cats have plenty of stimulation in the house. I have to use my best judgement about what is best for them and that is inside. My cats are always so curious about any closed door but when it is opened and they can see what is on the other side, they usually get bored and wander off as if to say, "I whined and hollered for THAT?"

I think many cats would opt to stay inside anyway. Why? Let's see....

soft beds to sleep in (and they don't have to be on constant alert while doing so)
regular meals and snacks (that they didn't have to work to get other than whine a bit)
attention whenever they want it
lots and lots of toys
the ability to wander anywhere at anytime without fear of being run over, chased or getting into a fight with wildlife over anything

There is a road directly in front of my house and another behind it. The one behind me is worse. Very poorly lit, little to no police presence and it is a direct route from farms and citrus groves to the main road through town so it is often more like a racetrack for semis than an actual road. My cats are black. There's NO WAY they are going anywhere near there. I had to bury a stray who got hit crossing that road.

We all have to make this decision for ourselves but IMO if you want to let your cat out, build an enclosure or catio and/or train him/her to walk on a harness and leash.

 

[Merlin77]

Cats can be perfectly happy inside all the time. IMO they do not belong outside unsupervised ever. There is too many dangers out there and it's not worth it. Would they be "happier"? I don't know and quite frankly, don't care. They are my responsibility and as the "parent" in the relationship, I have to be the one to make that call and it is done with their best interest in mind.

They do not belong relieving themselves in other people's yards, going after birds and other wildlife and potentially causing car accidents from people trying to avoid them in the road. Would a toddler be "happier" eating candy for breakfast every day? Yeah probably. Would it be in their best interest? No.

I agree with Margret . If they could talk and were asked, I don't think many of them would care. My cats have plenty of stimulation in the house. I have to use my best judgement about what is best for them and that is inside. My cats are always so curious about any closed door but when it is opened and they can see what is on the other side, they usually get bored and wander off as if to say, "I whined and hollered for THAT?"

I think many cats would opt to stay inside anyway. Why? Let's see....

soft beds to sleep in (and they don't have to be on constant alert while doing so)
regular meals and snacks (that they didn't have to work to get other than whine a bit)
attention whenever they want it
lots and lots of toys
the ability to wander anywhere at anytime without fear of being run over, chased or getting into a fight with wildlife over anything

There is a road directly in front of my house and another behind it. The one behind me is worse. Very poorly lit, little to no police presence and it is a direct route from farms and citrus groves to the main road through town so it is often more like a racetrack for semis than an actual road. My cats are black. There's NO WAY they are going anywhere near there. I had to bury a stray who got hit crossing that road.

We all have to make this decision for ourselves but IMO if you want to let your cat out, build an enclosure or catio and/or train him/her to walk on a harness and leash.

I think it depends on the cat. My Snake would trade even the most expensive bed for a tree to rest on, highest quality food for a fresh caught mouse. Days of being under a ceiling for being under the stars.

When Snake was kept inside for a week because her paw was hurt, she was happy for the first few days. Then, she stopped purring. She grew less affectionate and wanted to spend more time outside in the backyard. When she was let out again, back at our acreage, she ran and climbed and roamed for hours on end. She started purring again.

Plus it depends on the outside situation. Not every home is by a busy road, and if you live in the country you might even have a wilderness right outside your door.

I fully agree with the inside being safer, however.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yeah, I keep mine indoors only now. But they are pretty happy, since they have each other. I don't think they would ever want to be outdoor only, they don't like it when it gets down to 30 degrees. They are allowed outside in the garage sometimes.

 

[Norachan]

I think it depends on the cat too. Hiro, the cat in my avatar, goes out whatever the weather. They have a big enclosure and a cat door so they can come and go as they please. Hiro will find a dry spot and sit out there in rain or snow, just watching what is going on.

Forest Cat (abandoned by his former owners) and Happy (FIV positive former feral) hardly ever go outside. If the weather is really nice they will come out onto the deck to see what I'm doing, but they rarely go any further than that.

I guess if the cat feels secure and knows they can get back in when they want to they are more likely to enjoy being outside. Forest and Happy both had a pretty rough time when they were outdoors. Life indoors must seem much better to them.

 

[orange&white]

Three cats; Domestic cat loves to run outside when the door's open, but does not want to be stuck outside (don't shut the door or he panics to get back inside). Feral kitten adopted in February at 4 months does not want to set foot outside ever again. Wild feral cat lives on the patio, likes to run into the house with the door open, does not want to stay in the house more than a few minutes then runs back outside.

Summary: depends on the cat.

I will say that having taken on feeding of an outdoor feral cat this year, she is the only one of three who I do not worry about becoming obese. She seems more in her natural place in the world. There's no way my indoor cats get as much voluntary exercise, even though they are safer indoors and I worry about them much less.

 

[Merlin77]

Three cats; Domestic cat loves to run outside when the door's open, but does not want to be stuck outside (don't shut the door or he panics to get back inside). Feral kitten adopted in February at 4 months does not want to set foot outside ever again. Wild feral cat lives on the patio, likes to run into the house with the door open, does not want to stay in the house more than a few minutes then runs back outside.

Summary: depends on the cat.

I will say that having taken on feeding of an outdoor feral cat this year, she is the only one of three who I do not worry about becoming obese. She seems more in her natural place in the world. There's no way my indoor cats get as much voluntary exercise, even though they are safer indoors and I worry about them much less.

So true.

 

[midnightsun]

Speaking of indoors vs outdoors, something I've seen people on here say a lot is that outdoor cats live much less than indoor ones. I really don't understand that honestly. Maybe that's true in the US or specific areas of the US, definitely not everywhere in the world. I've personally lived in 2 countries where it's the norm to let cats outside and none of the many cats I've met have seemed to live any less than the average indoor cat.

To answer the question, I don't think there's any general answer, I think it depends on the cat. My current cat seems very happy to stay indoors all the time (which is very convenient since I live in an apartment now), while my old cat would go mad if he was indoors all the time.

 

[maggiedemi]

There's a lot of coyotes and other predators here in the US, and cars. All my childhood cats disappeared, except the one who got hit by a truck. It's the not knowing that hurts, they don't come home to die and you never know what got them. Only two of my cats lived until 10 or 11 years old, the rest disappeared pretty young.

 

[midnightsun]

Right, as I said I understand that it's probably true in the US. A lot of people talk about it as if it's universally true though.

 

[Merlin77]

Speaking of indoors vs outdoors, something I've seen people on here say a lot is that outdoor cats live much less than indoor ones. I really don't understand that honestly. Maybe that's true in the US or specific areas of the US, definitely not everywhere in the world. I've personally lived in 2 countries where it's the norm to let cats outside and none of the many cats I've met have seemed to live any less than the average indoor cat.

To answer the question, I don't think there's any general answer, I think it depends on the cat. My current cat seems very happy to stay indoors all the time (which is very convenient since I live in an apartment now), while my old cat would go mad if he was indoors all the time.

Yeah, the cat who set the record for catching 28 888 mice (or something like that) in her lifetime lived till 24 years old. Pretty sure she lived outside if she caught so many mice!

 

[maggiedemi]

My childhood cats might have lived longer if my dad would have let them come in at night. They did have our playhouse, but I'm sure they didn't stay in there all night, they probably went hunting at night.

 

[orange&white]

My grandmother had a cat who went hunting outside all night and came in the house to sleep all day. She lived 23 years. They were out in a rural country area.

 

[maggiedemi]

Well something got my cats one by one over the years. I know only one got hit by a truck. It was probably coyotes. I think Mally died of old age because he looked horrible the last day I saw him, like an 80 year old man. I think he was at least 11 years old, but maybe older. My parents didn't keep any records. Now I make sure I write down my cats ages every year.

 

[orange&white]

Unlike my grandparents who lived on a country acreage, I was raised in a more crowded urban suburb. My mom did not allow any animals in the house ever. All my childhood kittens also ran away, except one who died from distemper.

I prefer to keep my cats indoors for selfish reasons, but wild little backyard feral will likely be an outdoor kitty her whole life. If she lives long enough, maybe she'll want to come inside more when she is older and settled. I'll let her decide.

 

[maggiedemi]

Yes, my dad was the same, all animals had to live outside, except he would put them down cellar once in a while if it was way below zero. He did get them all fixed and got their vaccinations every few years at those special clinics they advertised in the paper. Just one day they never came home, every few years another would disappear. I don't think it's selfish to keep them indoors, especially if they have a brother or sister kitty. As long as Demi has his "girlfriend", he's happy.